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Kodak Alaris has announced the winners of the annual KODAK Gallery Elite Award, which honors photographers who are members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) that have used KODAK PROFESSIONAL Photographic Paper to perfect their art. This is the the 29th anniversary of the award, a culmination of annual state and district awards held throughout the US in conjunction with the PPA print competitions.

Kodak Alaris will showcase the four winning images in its booth (#726) at Imaging USA (I-USA)—the annual PPA conference and trade show, Feb. 1-3, 2015.

Nylora Bruleigh (of Photography by Nylora) is this year’s Grand Prize winner for her photograph titled Ice Princess.

Ice Princess: The winning image is from a Concord, NH-based photographer, who specializes in women and children’s portraiture. It features a young woman dressed in fantasy attire surrounded by ice. The judges selected Bruleigh’s photograph because of its beautiful tones, unique application of composite techniques and adventurous storytelling.

The 2nd Place winner is Jim LaSala (Jim LaSala Photography, Flemington, NY) for Blind Faith, self-printed using KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Lustre Photo Paper.

Jim LaSala (www.jimlasala.com) was asked to document the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in 2010. The country and its people soon became an ongoing personal passion, resulting in many trips to the Caribbean nation. His winning image, “Blind Faith” captures an elderly blind woman in a moment of rest in Grande Vincent, Haiti. The photo was applauded for its “striking dimension and detail in black and white, use of natural light and emotional impact”.

The 3rd Place winner is Kris Doman (KD Portrait Design, West Jordan, UT) for Watching from the Keep, printed by Nichols Photo Lab.

Kris Doman (www.krisdoman.com), a children and family portrait photographer, believes there is something extraordinary that happens when a child puts on a costume. It allows them to internalize the strengths that the character represents and something she captures with a camera. Her winning photo features a young girl sitting along a rock wall looking regal in elegant attire. Judges praised Kris’ photo for it’s beautiful skin tones, classic style and her amazing storytelling ability.

The 4th Place winner is David Jeffery (David Jeffery Photography, Woodstock, NY) for Mast Production, printed by White House Custom Colour.

While attending a wedding, fine art photographer David Jeffery (www.davidjefferyphotography.com) took a walk down to the water to get fresh air. He saw a stunning group of clouds spilling over crystal clear waters and a forest of sailboat masts. Never without his camera and tripod, David captured the scene via a 180˚ panorama made up of bracketed shots (five wide and three deep). The judges described the results as: “having great texture, beautiful soft tones and excellent use of effects.” For David, his love of photography is about sculpting what people see.

Each winner will receive the KODAK Gallery Elite crystal trophy, a cash prize, and the images will be shown at its I-USA booth. Kodak Alaris will post the images online at the KODAK Gallery Elite Winners Showcase and in promotional materials.

State and district winners who printed their images on KODAK PROFESSIONAL Photographic Papers were eligible to compete for the KODAK Gallery Elite Award.

More info on the KODAK Gallery Elite Award here.